Tag Archive for Parliament attack

People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has strongly condemned the hanging of Afzal Guru in New Delhi on Saturday.

Afzal Guru was convicted in the 2001 parliament attack and was hanged and buried on Saturday in a secret operation raising severe criticisms from human rights and civil rights organisations in the country.

According to PUCL, the tearing hurry with which Afzal Guru was hanged, accompanied by the flouting of all established norms by not giving his family their legal right to meet him before taking him to the gallows, clearly indicates that there were political considerations behind taking this step.

“More shameful is the explanation of the Home department that the wife and family of Afzal Guru were intimated of the hanging by a mail sent by Speed Post and Registered Post. Decency and humanity demanded that the Union Government give prior intimation to the family and an opportunity to meet him. Such a surreptitious action of the government also deprives the family of Afzal Guru to right to seek legal remedy”.

PUCL also condemned the Delhi police for detaining activists who were protesting against the hanging. Activists alleged that the right-wing goons were permitted by the police to use violence against the peaceful protestors.

PUCL reiterated its demand for the abolition of the death penalty. “India must not retain in its statute book something so abhorrent to human rights as the death penalty. More especially, when more than 150 countries have banned or put a moratorium on it”.

PUCL feels that starting with Kasab, now with Afzal Guru, the country is going to witness a spate of executions and have a given a call to the nation to break this spiral of executions.